Non owner SR22 insurance in South Carolina

According to the SCDMV's uninsured driving information, an owner convicted of driving their own uninsured vehicle loses the license and registration until paying the $700 uninsured motorist fee. An insurer must also file an SR-22 for that owner for three years, starting from the suspension date.

Drivers in vehicles they do not own are treated differently on the same page. That driver faces a license suspension of 30 days and a $100 reinstatement fee. No SR-22 is named in this case.

The state's financial responsibility law covers more situations. A suspended or revoked license remains that way until the person provides and maintains proof of financial responsibility. Proof can come from three sources: an SR-22 certificate, a bond, or cash placed on deposit.

The state's law recognizes two kinds of motor vehicle liability policy: the owner's policy and the operator's policy. A certificate must identify the covered vehicles unless its policy belongs to someone who does not own a motor vehicle. Therefore, drivers without cars do not need a vehicle listed on the form.

The state insurance code includes nonowner policies among automobile insurance policies. Such a policy covers a private passenger car that the insured does not own. The SCDMV also requires insurers to hold a license to do business in South Carolina.

The SCDMV sets the SR-22 period for uninsured owners at three years. After the proof requirement has lasted three years, you may ask the DMV to cancel it. No new conviction or bail forfeiture requiring or allowing a suspension may have occurred during that time. Ending the proof early by giving up your license and registration comes with a catch. If you apply again during the three years, the state will refuse your application until you restore the proof for the remaining period.

You are not the person who files the form. Through the SCDMV's reporting system, licensed South Carolina insurers, agents, and agencies submit filings. The SCDMV says this is where an SR-22 certificate can be filed.

The SCDMV fee page states that each suspension carries a $100 reinstatement fee unless another amount is required. Owing more than $200 in these fees may make you eligible for the SCDMV payment plan. The cited pages list no separate state charge of its own for the SR-22. To learn the insurer's charge, ask them.

The South Carolina Department of Insurance gives the minimum liability limits as follows: one person hurt, $25,000; an accident with injuries, $50,000; property damage, $25,000.

At least six months is required for the policy that backs the certificate. For at least 90 days, the certificate must remain in force unless the insurer cancels it for a reason other than non-payment. When the insurer cancels, it must notify the DMV right away and state whether non-payment caused the cancellation.

Lasting consequences come from a record of cancellation for non-payment. Later certificates from that person may be refused by the DMV if the policy can be canceled for non-payment during the one-year period.